


Nayeon's Declassified School Survival guide

by Slicki



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F, contains yeet, it's fluffy with a brief touch of the lightest angst, queer girls being afraid of their feelings what else is new
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 10:22:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19721728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slicki/pseuds/Slicki
Summary: In the back of her mind, Jihyo knew that, when it came to Jeongyeon, Nayeon would only ever truly listen to herself.orNayeon has a crush, a seven year old project on her desk, and a school dance that's coming up in three months.





	Nayeon's Declassified School Survival guide

**Author's Note:**

> So forever ago, I asked my followers for 7 words to work into a fic. I ended up going with 8 because sometimes someone just throws a word at you and you have to use it. Those words were as follows:
> 
> yeet, pepperoni, orange, skurt skurt, socks, glitch, dance, and shorts.
> 
> That aside, please enjoy a queer rendition of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.

Nayeon fought back a smile as she watched Jihyo pace back and forth across her room. If it wasn’t for the fact that her best friend was likely about to yell at her, Nayeon would’ve laughed at the sight. It was fascinating, in a way. Jihyo turned at the exact same spots every single time.  
  
She was currently on lap nine.  
  
Nayeon counted six more laps before Jihyo spun around to face her directly.  
  
“You,” Jihyo exclaimed, jabbing a finger in Nayeon’s direction, “are the most insufferable friend I’ve ever had.”  
  
Nayeon warily eyed Jihyo’s finger as she moved closer, the gap of several feet between them quickly shrinking.  
  
She was well aware of the fact that Jihyo was wearing thick wool socks and had been moving non-stop over her carpet. Nayeon had never really imagined her own death, but she was absolutely certain that she didn’t want it to come as a result of static electricity.  
  
Though, it did have a fun Clue-esque flow to it: Park Jihyo in the bedroom with the static.  
  
It would be unique, at least.  
  
Nayeon scooted backwards on her bed as Jihyo moved closer.  
  
“You refuse to listen to any of the advice that I give you! Do you actually even want to go to the winter dance with Jeongyeon, or is this just some ridiculous prank you’ve been playing on me for months?”  
  
Jihyo stopped her advance only when her knees bumped into Nayeon’s bed. Her face was flushed, eyes narrowed, and Nayeon wondered if the instrument of her death would be ‘reproachful glare of her best friend’ instead.  
  
“Well,” Jihyo demanded, hand finally lowering and ending it’s threat on Nayeon’s life. “What’s the truth?”  
  
Nayeon sighed, closing her eyes before responding. “Jihyo. I can’t."  
  
“Why not?” Jihyo’s voice was softer now, but the edge of frustration was still there.   
  
“Because it’s stupid and risky.” Nayeon fell back onto her bed, letting herself sink down into her mattress. “I don’t think I can actually cope with Jeongyeon rejecting me.”  
  
“I’ve already told you. She—”  
  
“I know what you’ve told me,” Nayeon interrupted. “But I can’t risk five years of friendship on a hunch of yours. You don’t actually know that she likes me.”  
  
Nayeon felt the bed dip as Jihyo took a seat next to her, heard Jihyo’s foot meet the post of the bed as she let out a sigh.  
  
Thud.  
  
She knew exactly what Jihyo would say. She knew Jihyo would talk about how Jeongyeon smiled at her when she thought no one was looking, and how her insistence on always giving Nayeon the last slice of pepperoni pizza on Pizza Wednesdays was a secret declaration of love as opposed to an opportunity to tease her about it later.  
  
Thud.  
  
She also knew Jihyo was a bit of a romantic, and the memory of several failed confessions made at her behest still haunted Nayeon.  
  
Thud.  
  
Nayeon tried pretend that the conversation was over, but she knew better. Jihyo was biding her time, preparing some kind of statement that was either going to make Nayeon feel like a coward or make her reevaluate her entire life.  
  
She could feel it in the air. Jihyo’s speed was picking up, each thud coming faster and faster.  
  
Thud. Thud.  
  
It was a daunting drumbeat, a primal call that welcomed only devastation and emotional despair.  
  
The thudding stopped, and Nayeon braced herself.  
  
And then Jihyo giggled.  
  
Nayeon’s eyes snapped open to see Jihyo leaning against the post of her bed, laughing and shaking her head.  
  
“What,” Nayeon asked, rolling onto her side.  
  
Jihyo turned and caught her gaze, rueful smile on her face as her laughter faded. “I just had a dumb idea.”  
  
Nayeon raised an eyebrow.  
  
“If you refuse to listen to me, maybe you’d listen to yourself.”  
  
Nayeon sat up, giving Jihyo a questioning look. “I repeat. What?”  
  
Jihyo tilted her head towards the other side of the room. “You have that project from sixth grade that you were obsessed with sitting on your desk. I distinctly remember an entire chapter dedicated to confessing to crushes.”  
  
Nayeon laughed, standing up to cross the room and pick up the familiar green notebook. “I found this when going through some of my things last week. What does that have to do with anything?”  
  
She ran a finger over it’s cover, nostalgic smile tugging at her lips.  
  
Jihyo walked over to join her, reaching out to tug the notebook out of her hands.  
  
‘Well,” Jihyo began, flipping through the book, “I remember you following it religiously in the 7th and 8th grade.”  
  
Nayeon scoffed. “And? I left it behind when I started high school for a reason.”  
  
Jihyo stopped flipping through the book, her finger landing midway down a page. “Tip #94: Take a class your crush is in. The more time you spend with them the better!”  
  
She looked up at Nayeon and smirked. “Looks like you already got that one covered, you’re in two of her classes this semester.”  
  
“Shut up,” Nayeon said, snatching the notebook out of Jihyo’s hands. “I’m absolutely not taking the advice of my sixth grade self. Sixth grade me also thought orange shorts with a purple shirt were cute.”  
  
“Sure,” Jihyo said, shrugging. “But you also had the guts to make a move on your crushes. Just think about it.”  
  
Nayeon’s eyes dropped to the notebook. Already, memories of some of her favorite tips were tumbling through her mind. She knew that some of them were outdated at this point ( _#19: Make them a mix CD of your favorite music. You’ll have something to talk about, and one or two romantic songs never hurt anyone,_ was a prime example), but she also knew that a lot of them actually were somewhat decent.  
  
Her grip on the notebook tightened as she sighed. It was ridiculous. “Why can’t you just let me fail in peace?”  
  
Jihyo shrugged. “You know why.”  
  
Nayeon’s lips tugged upwards at the tone of reluctance in Jihyo’s voice. Her eyes met Jihyo’s, and a smirk blossomed. “I don’t, actually. Elaborate for me?”  
  
Jihyo grimaced and crossed her arms. “No.”  
  
“Elaborate, and I’ll do it.” The words left Nayeon’s mouth before she could think twice about them, but in the silence that followed her declaration, she found a bit a relief coming over her.  
  
It wasn’t up to her to decide whether or not she’d be taking advice from a middle school project; it was up to Jihyo.  
  
Jihyo who was squinting and shifting and looking altogether like she wanted to kick Nayeon in the shin. But Nayeon knew how this would go. She had been playing this game for years. Both her and Jihyo knew the outcome.  
  
All at once, Jihyo’s body relaxed, arms unfolding and face smoothing out. She gave Nayeon a searching look before speaking. “You’re my best friend. All I want is for you to be as happy as you can be. I love you, Nayeon. Enough to be saying this even though it feels like someone is stabbing me.”  
  
Nayeon blinked. And blinked again.  
  
And then blinked one more time.  
  
Jihyo was the one smirking now, and Nayeon was torn between continuing to focus on not tearing up and launching her own assault on Jihyo’s ankles.  
  
“I—” Nayeon worked her jaw for a few seconds before giving up on responding.  
  
Jihyo’s smirk widened. “That was worth it. It’s not every day you don’t have a comeback.”  
  
“Shut up.”  
  
“Nope. Not until you agree to one more shot.”  
  
“Why do you want me to follow this stupid book?”  
  
“One, I think it’ll be funny.”  
  
Nayeon made a mental note to get a better best friend.  
  
“Two, I think you were less afraid when you were younger. Maybe this will give you back that courage. I know you have it in you somewhere.”  
  
Well, maybe her one was fine.  
  
“Jihyo?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I’m going to hug you now.”  
  
“Make it quick.”  
  
  
**_Tip #5 Bring an extra outfit in case something happens to the first outfit._**

  
  
She had winced when she had come across this tip again. It had been inspired by an incident in the 4th grade involving tomato sauce, a white shirt, and picture day. She could remember the crushing embarrassment like it was yesterday.  
  
This tip was easy, simple, and a good way for her to ease herself into this whole experiment. Baby steps.  
  
(Jihyo didn’t have to know that she was too hesitant to listen to the more serious tips yet.)  
  
Nayeon tossed the bag in the bottom of her locker and convinced herself that she was indeed giving it her best shot. Sometimes these tips just need time to work. That’s all.  
  
In the case of this particular tip, Nayeon found that it would take a total of seventeen, long, single, not-yet-dating-Jeongyeon-days, before it became useful.  
  
_**Jeongasaur**_  
_[11:37 AM] UFKC_  
_[11:37 AM] FUCK_  
_[11:37 AM] please fucking tell me that you have some spare fucking clothes that I could wear._  
_[11:37 AM] you gave me a shirt once after a disastrous art class. I could fucking use that like right fucking now._  
_[11:38 AM] if you see this before 12, meet me in the second floor bathroom_  
  
She got herself excused from class as quickly as she could, rushing to her locker. Nayeon didn’t want to run — the memory of a smug hall monitor handing her detention last week still stung — but she figured she could get to Jeongyeon in about five minutes if she power-walked like her life depended on it.  
  
She pulled open the door to the bathroom and all but threw herself through the doorway, struggling to catch her breath but spurred on by the density of “fuck”s that had been in the texts. Her steps were halted as she took in the sight of Jeongyeon standing in front of the sink, shirtless and shivering.  
  
Jeongyeon’s head was down, hair blocking the view of her face. But Nayeon saw the crumpled up shirt on the ground, saw the bright blue stain and what looked like chunks of ice.  
  
Shock rendered her speechless until a particularly violent shiver wracked through Jeongyeon.  
  
“What the hell happened to you?”  
  
Jeongyeon whirled around to face her, relief clear on her face.  
  
“What happened,” Jeongyeon said through chattering teeth, “is that Chaeyoung decided to not pay attention on her way back from lunch and spilled the rest of her stupid ice drink on me in the hallway!”  
  
Jeongyeon kicked her foot out in the direction of her ruined shirt, and Nayeon had to fight back a giggle at the pout now on her friend’s face.  
  
“It’s not funny, Nayeon! I have a physics test in thirty minutes!”  
  
“Right. Yes. Sorry. Absolutely not funny at all.”  
  
Jeongyeon scowled at her. “Did you bring any spare clothes, or did you just come to mock me?”  
  
Nayeon moved closer, holding out the bag that had been in her locker. “As the talent of a generation, I managed to come here for both.”  
  
Jeongyeon lunged forward, swiping the bag out of Nayeon’s hands before she could even think to react. “Gimme. I’m fucking freezing.”  
  
Nayeon watched as Jeongyeon pulled the bag open and reached in to pull the clothes out. “Your gratitude is truly overwhelming.”  
  
“I figured it would be easier to thank you when I wasn’t dying of cold,” Jeongyeon said, pulling on the t-shirt Nayeon had brought with her.  
  
Nayeon let out a laugh at seeing the shirt on Jeongyeon. She hadn’t given that much thought to the clothes she picked, had just ruffled her through clothing and grabbed whatever old thing she came across. And now Jeongyeon was wearing a shirt she remembered getting in freshman year, a bright pink number that clashed with everything Jeongyeon had ever purchased.  
  
Jeongyeon looked up at the sound of her laugh, scowling. “You think my desperation is funny?”  
  
“Cute, actually.” Nayeon moved closer, saw that Jeongyeon was still shivering slightly. “Never thought I’d see the day Yoo Jeongyeon was reduced to wearing a hot pink shirt.”  
  
“Well don’t get used to it,” Jeongyeon said as she unfolded the sweatshirt that had been in the bag. “It’ll be thoroughly covered by—”  
  
Jeongyeon’s mouth dropped open; her brows furrowed and her throat bobbed as she swallowed.  
  
“What?”  
  
“This is your old field hockey hoodie.”  
  
Jeongyeon looked at her like she was asking Nayeon a question that would unlock the secrets of the universe. But Nayeon didn’t hear a question, didn’t know what answer Jeongyeon wanted her to give.  
  
“I mean, yeah. It is. I just grabbed whatever from my closet. Do you not want it? Does it remind you too much of my failed attempts at being an athlete,” Nayeon asked, stepping forward to tug it out of Jeongyeon’s hands.  
  
Jeongyeon shook her head and held fast. “No. I very much want a sweatshirt because I can feel my veins freezing and crumbling. It’s just that this has your…your,”Jeongyeon trailed off, sighing and letting her hands fall. “Never mind.”  
  
Nayeon wasn’t unfamiliar with seeing Jeongyeon stutter and trip over her words. The other girl was easy to fluster, and prone to frantic backpedaling when her mouth outran her brain. But this was different. Jeongyeon wasn’t yelling or flailing her arms, she was just looking down at the sweatshirt with something Nayeon would call apprehension if she didn’t know better.  
  
“My what?”  
  
“Nothing. I think that stupid slushie froze my brain.” Jeongyeon pouted, and in that moment, Nayeon made the decision to move past what had been floating between them a second ago. She supposed she wouldn’t be the most well spoken after being doused in blue ice either.  
  
“Oh my god,” Nayeon exclaimed. “Not your one brain cell!”  
  
“Shut up,” Jeongyeon said, laughter slightly muffled as she pulled the sweatshirt over her head. “Whatever is left of my brain needs to get me through my physics test.”  
  
Nayeon rolled her eyes as she stepped forward to adjust the sweatshirt strings. “You’ll do fine. Mina tutored you this summer, and she knows what she’s doing.”  
  
Jeongyeon scoffed in response, and Nayeon slid her hands down to rest on Jeongyeon’s shoulders. “Do you dare doubt the Myoui wisdom?”  
  
“Absolutely not.” Nayeon’s hands shook as Jeongyeon’s body rumbled with laughter.  
  
Nayeon loved the way Jeongyeon wore amusement, was inevitably drawn to the other girl by the way her smiles blossomed so freely and laughter spread so contagiously. It suited her.  
  
“What?”  
  
Nayeon blinked. “What?”  
  
Jeongyeon ran a hand through her hair — Nayeon felt it was thoroughly unfair how attractive she was when she did that — and let out a gentle laugh. “You were looking at me weird.”  
  
Nayeon’s heart glitched, skipped a beat and sent all available blood rushing to her head. She dropped her hands down to her sides. “Maybe you’re the one looking at me weird!”  
  
Another laugh. Nayeon could barely hear it over the pounding in her ears. Never telling Jeongyeon that she had a crush on her was bad, but having Jeongyeon figure it out herself before Nayeon was ready to tell her was astronomically worse.  
  
“If I was, you’d deserve it.”  
  
“Jerk,” Nayeon muttered, reaching out to slap Jeongyeon on the shoulder.  
  
Jeongyeon just smiled. “Thank you for the save, Nayeon. I really appreciate it.”  
  
“Oh don’t thank me. You’re in my debt forever now.” Nayeon’s pulse was slowing, relaxing at more familiar ground.  
  
“Can I get back to you on repaying that? I have a physics test to go barely pass.”  
  
“If you must.”  
  
“Still on for hanging out after school?”  
  
“Wouldn’t miss it.”  
  
Jeongyeon nodded and turned to leave the bathroom. As she did, something caught Nayeon’s eye, and she froze. Her first instinct was to gasp, but the feelings sweeping through her were too overwhelming to allow anything more than silent gaping.  
  
She knew that Jeongyeon was now wearing her old hoodie, but she hadn’t actually thought about what that would mean.  
  
But now?  
  
Now Nayeon had no idea how she was supposed to get through the rest of the day knowing that Jeongyeon was walking around wearing Nayeon’s name and number on her back. It didn’t mean anything; she knew it didn’t mean anything.  
  
But it was still the only thing on her mind when she got back to class.  
  
//  
  
Later, Jeongyeon will wave Nayeon over to her car and go on about how her physics test was laughably easy. Jeongyeon will lean back against the hood of her car and act like it’s not a big deal, but Nayeon will see the undercurrent of excitement that she’ll try to hide. Jeongyeon will still be wearing her sweatshirt.  
  
Later, they’ll go to Jeongyeon’s house and laze about her living room, talking about whatever crosses their minds and the homework they should be doing. The entire time, Jeongyeon will remain wrapped in her sweatshirt.  
  
Later, Nayeon will go to leave but get stopped at the doorway by a hesitant Jeongyeon. Jeongyeon will pull her into a hug, muttered thanks tickling her ear. And Nayeon will feel warm and happy and smile even wider at the blush that will appear on Jeongyeon’s face when she kisses her on the cheek. She’ll even turn around when she reaches the sidewalk, heart jumping when she sees Jeongyeon leaning against the doorway, still wearing that damn sweatshirt.  
  
Later, Nayeon will walk into her room, spot a marbled green notebook on her desk, and pick it up, ready to fully commit to this ridiculous plan.

  
  
_**Tip #3: Food is the way to someone’s heart**_

  
  
Nayeon scanned the dishes one last time before going to open the front door. She had been unsure of this tip, appropriately hesitant of her abilities in the kitchen, but then she had remembered just how excited Jeongyeon was every time she got to eat one of her favorite foods.  
  
She also realized that this was a good faux-date situation. There was no pretense yet, just Jeongyeon coming over for lunch like she’d done countless times. And yes, maybe Nayeon had spent her morning practicing confessions and flirtations in the mirror, but that was just to pass the time.  
  
She pulled open the door, grin morphing into a look of surprise when she saw two people standing on her doorstep.  
  
“Hi,” they both greeted. Jihyo shifted nervously in front of her, but Jeongyeon just looked excited, stepping into into Nayeon’s house and beginning to remove her shoes. Nayeon didn’t respond, too off-kilter to do anything other than let go of the door knob and slowly watch it close.  
  
“Sorry to crash your afternoon, but Jeongyeon saw me on my way back from going to the park with my sisters and forced me to come.” Jihyo’s voice snapped her out of her stupor, and Nayeon turned slowly, aware that her afternoon was definitely not going to go according to plan.  
  
Her eyes narrowed as they met Jihyo’s. She checked to see where Jeongyeon was, smiling slightly when she saw her dart into the kitchen, before shooting a glare at the intruder.  
  
“Why are you here,” Nayeon mouthed, throwing her arms wide for emphasis.  
  
Jihyo grimaced and moved close, whispering. “I’m sorry. I thought Jeongyeon was just making conversation when she asked me if I had plans this afternoon, so I said no. How was I supposed to know I’d end up here?”  
  
“I had plans,” Nayeon hissed.  
  
“I actually find that hard to believe because I’ve been doing my best to give you two alone time for the past few months and you’ve done nothing.” The last word was said through gritted teeth, and Nayeon briefly considered pulling Jihyo into a headlock.  
  
“I’ve been using the tips, okay. Don’t blame me—”  
  
“These noodles are delicious!” Jeongyeon’s voice interrupted them.  
  
“Yoo Jeongyoen,” Nayeon shouted, “you better not have started without us!”  
  
“No promises!”  
  
“I’ll leave when I can,” Jihyo whispered, nodding before taking a step towards the kitchen.  
  
Part of Nayeon wanted to agree with Jihyo and get her out of here as soon as possible, but a larger part knew that doing so would do Jihyo a disservice. She wasn’t unwelcome, just a small roadblock next to a dozen other roadblocks on a road to a place Nayeon wasn’t sure she was ever going to get to.  
  
“Wait,” Nayeon said, reaching out and catching Jihyo by the wrist. “Forget about it. She wanted it to be the three of us, and we haven’t all hung out in forever anyway. Stay for a bit.”  
  
Jihyo smiled. “Okay, but I promise I won’t stay the whole day. I know you need your daily chance to sit and do nothing.”  
  
She turned and strode into the kitchen before Nayeon could respond, and all Nayeon could do was follow, glaring at Jihyo’s back as she went.  
  
//  
  
The sun was just beginning to set, and Nayeon watched the rays of light slowly fade away. She wondered if disappearing was a skill she could acquire anytime soon, mainly to use when she started thinking too hard about Jeongyeon.  
  
Jihyo had tried to leave several times as the hours ticked past, but every time, Jeongyeon pulled her into yet another game or yet another conversation. Nayeon had smiled and laughed, but there had been a small part of her that couldn’t help but wonder why she felt like Jeongyeon was so set on Jihyo staying. They had already made plans to get together after school later this week.  
  
Of course, she could just tell Jeongyeon that she was feeling down after yet another failed attempt at taking things between them to a different level. She could tell Jeongyeon about how, even though she had a wonderful time with Jihyo, part of her lamented the fact that her chance had been taken from her.  
  
The food had put Jeongyeon exactly where Nayeon wanted her: happy, comfortable, and just sleepy enough to sprawl on the couch with her head in Nayeon’s lap. She had almost said something a few times, had almost let a “Do you want to go on a date sometime?” fall from her lips, but then Jihyo would laugh at a dumb joke Jeongyeon made or comment on the movie they were watching and Nayeon would be reminded of the fact that they weren’t alone. Jeongyeon sitting up when Jihyo pulled out a card game was a reluctant blessing.  
  
“Hey.” Nayeon jolted when Jeongyeon’s hand met her shoulder.  
  
She shook her head quickly, looking at the girl plaguing her mind. Jeongyeon’s lips were pulled into a frown, and Nayeon hated that she found the expression cute.  
  
“Are you okay,” Jeongyeon asked, shifting closer. “You’ve been staring off into space for the last five minutes. Are you having separation anxiety from Jihyo?” Jeongyeon tried to add a note of humor to her last question, but it was clear that she was worried.  
  
“I’m fine,” Nayeon said, pushing a smile onto her face. “Just got distracted thinking about my bio test next week.”  
  
There was no hesitation in Jeongyeon’s response. “You’re lying.”  
  
Nayeon saw the firm set of Jeongyeon’s lips and the furrow of her brow and knew she’d have to wriggle her way out of this one.  
  
Nayeon leaned back into the couch. “Well that’s rude.”  
  
“So is lying.” Jeongyeon crossed her arms. “What’s wrong?”  
  
Nayeon ran her eyes over Jeongyeon’s face and wondered how the other girl would respond if she told her that her stern face really was more of a pout than anything. She would probably shove at Nayeon’s shoulders and push herself back against the couch as the tips of her ears turned red.  
  
She rolled several responses around her mouth, unable to come up with one that felt right. In the end, there was really only one thing that would guarantee the end of Jeongyeon looking at her like that: whining.  
  
“I don’t know what I’m going to make for dinner,” Nayeon whimpered, slumping forward so that her forehead met Jeongyeon’s shoulder. “My parents are away this weekend, and I used up all of my energy on the noodles.”  
  
She expected Jeongyeon to recoil and complain about Nayeon being too close, but instead she felt Jeongyeon’s arm rise up to wrap around her. “Is that why you’ve been staring at the window like you’re in a low-budget drama,” Jeongyeon asked, laughing. “Just get takeout.”  
  
“I’ve already gone over my takeout budget for the month.” Nayeon was stunned, but thankfully Jeongyeon wasn’t trying to call her out for lying anymore. The other girl was comfortable and warm, and the anxiety in Nayeon’s stomach was slowly ebbing away, replaced with a gentle flutter.  
  
A beat passed, and then Jeongyeon pulled back slightly, turning to meet Nayeon’s gaze. “Guess you’ll have to starve, then.”  
  
“Yoo Jeongyeon,” Nayeon exclaimed, pulling back to shove at Jeongyeon’s shoulder. “Show some respect!”  
  
“No way,” Jeongyeon said, laughter threaded through her voice. “How do I respect someone who can’t even take care of dinner?”  
  
Nayeon pouted, moving back to rest her head on Jeongyeon’s shoulder. Surprising her once more, Jeongyeon shifted so that Nayeon’s head came to rest in the space below her chin. It was nice, and Nayeon couldn’t help but relax, even though she was hyperaware of every place her body was making contact with Jeongyeon’s.  
  
She wasn’t sure exactly how long this would last, but she wasn’t going to say anything that could prompt it’s end.  
  
Sure, Jeongyeon would sometimes let Nayeon hug her, or rest her head on her shoulder, or cower in her lap during scary movies — despite what Jihyo had insisted when they were alone, Nayeon swore that she was indeed so terrified by the glitched out murderous robot that she had to spend the entire movie in a half-amused half-annoyed Jeongyeon’s lap — or even just hold her hand. The problem was, at least according to Nayeon, that she didn’t let her do it enough.  
  
(By now, Nayeon knew that “enough” would be “all the time”, but she kept that to herself whenever she playfully complained to Jeongyeon about it.)  
  
She moved her hand before she could second-guess herself, cradling Jeongyeon’s free hand with her own. Jeongyeon’s fingers twitched in her grip, but they made no move to leave, and Nayeon was happy.  
  
“We can tell each other anything, right?” Jeongyeon’s voice caused Nayeon’s eyes to fly open, and with a flush of embarrassment, she realized that she had begun drifting off.  
  
Nayeon cleared her throat before speaking. “Of course.”  
  
“And nothing will change,” Jeongyeon asked, hand briefly tightening under Nayeon’s hold.  
  
The air was heavier now, Jeongyeon’s voice carrying a serious tone Nayeon rarely heard from her. She wanted to lift her head up and look Jeongyeon in the eye, but the other girl had a firm grip on her shoulder that told Nayeon that she wanted keep a bit of distance.  
  
“Well, of course things could change, but we’ll always be friends, Jeongyeon.”  
  
Jeongyeon’s voice was soft, and Nayeon had to strain to hear her properly. “Promise?”  
  
“Promise.” Endless questions were running through her mind, but in the end this was the only response she could give.  
  
Jeongyeon’s hand relaxed under hers, and Nayeon didn’t hesitate in lacing their fingers together. The arm around her shoulder had slackened as well, and Nayeon lifted her head to get a proper look at Jeongyeon.  
  
Jeongyeon met her gaze steadily, a look Nayeon had never really seen before on her face. She looked unsure of herself, yet there was a warmth directed at Nayeon that made her stomach erupt into flutters once more. The weight between them was different now, had coalesced into an anchor in Nayeon’s chest, grounding her even as Jeongyeon’s gentle smile made her feel weightless.  
  
She opened her mouth to speak, to say anything that would garner an explanation, but Jeongyeon beat her to the punch.  
  
“Then I feel confident saying this to you: I’m afraid that if I leave now, you’ll just starve. I don’t trust you.” Any hint of some deeper emotion was gone, replaced by a teasing look Nayeon knew all too well.  
  
“Hey! I am fully capable.” Nayeon shoved Jeongyeon’s shoulder with her own. “I can survive by myself, thank you.”  
  
As much as she wanted an explanation, she knew this was Jeongyeon’s way of moving on from whatever had been brewing between them.  
  
Jeongyeon rocked with the motion, standing up and looking down at Nayeon with a grin. “Nope. I’m making you dinner.”  
  
Their fingers were still tangled.  
  
“You’re making me dinner,” Nayeon asked in disbelief. “Since when do you cook?”  
  
Jeongyeon tugged Nayeon to her feet, rolling her eyes. “My dad is a chef. I picked up a thing or two.”  
  
“You really don’t have to,” Nayeon insisted, stepping in front of Jeongyeon before she could move towards the kitchen. “I invited you over to eat food you didn’t have to make.”  
  
Jeongyeon squeezed her hand, and Nayeon felt warmth spark in her chest. “No, it’s okay. I want to. I owe you for making lunch, and besides”—Jeongyeon paused, eyes flickering to the ground before she continued—“I know I invited Jihyo, but I was also looking forward to spending time with just you today.”  
  
“Oh,” Nayeon exhaled, fighting off the sudden urge to dance in place.  
  
Jeongyeon looked at her, sheepish expression falling into a grimace when Nayeon used their joined hands to tug Jeongyeon closer. “I’m—”  
  
“Don’t let it go to your head,” Jeongyeon interrupted, yanking her hand away from Nayeon’s and crossing her arms. “I think I’m coming down with something and it’s affecting my higher functions.”  
  
Nayeon let out a giggle as Jeongyeon turned and began walking into the kitchen, arms stiff.  
  
“If that’s what helps you sleep at night, Yoo Jeongyeon,” Nayeon called after her. “I know the truth!”  
  
“You know nothing, Im!”

  
  
_**Tip #9: Rely on your friends for help**_

  
  
“Now, I’ve brought you both here for a very important purpose,” Nayeon said, making eye contact with the two girls sitting on her couch.  
  
Chaeyoung stiffened. “Listen, if this is about me spilling paint on Jeongyeon’s sneakers yesterday. It was a complete accident.”  
  
Dahyun let out a snicker that was interrupted by Chaeyoung elbowing her in the side. “Hey!”  
  
Nayeon raised her eyebrow at both of them, one now dramatically strewn across the couch clutching her ribs, and the other nervously meeting her gaze. “Why would I care about you spilling paint on Jeongyeon’s shoes?”  
  
“Oh!” Dahyun shot up, hand raised. “I know this one! Because you have a gigantic crush on her.”  
  
Nayeon felt like someone had just knocked all of the wind out of her.  
  
“Oh nice one!” Chaeyoung turned to high-five a grinning Dahyun.  
  
“You promised me you wouldn’t mention that,” Nayeon whined, just barely resisting the urge to stomp her foot.  
  
Chaeyoung leaned back into the couch with a lazy grin. “No. We promised to not mention it when Jeongyeon is around.”  
  
“Exactly,” Dahyun agreed. “We keep our promises!”  
  
“I—” Nayeon faltered with a sigh. “Okay, whatever I suppose it’s actually relevant for once.”  
  
Both Dahyun and Chaeyoung let out a noise of surprise. “It is,” Chaeyoung exclaimed. “Why?”  
  
Nayeon took a deep breath before speaking. When she had first chosen her third tip, she had instantly thought of Jihyo. Her best friend was clearly more than willing to help at any given moment, but Nayeon didn't want that.  
  
She wanted something just a little bit risky, but also something that she knew wouldn’t bother Jeongyeon. She needed the support of friends that knew exactly what limits to test while not making things too serious, which is exactly why she had texted the two girls in front of her.  
  
She would swear that there had been some sort of something between her and Jeongyeon on her couch two weeks ago, and she needed to act while she still had the confidence.  
  
Nayeon licked her lips and spoke, desperately hoping she wouldn’t regret this. “I need you two to help me with Jeongyeon.”  
  
//  
  
Nayeon tried to settle her heart rate as she walked down the hallway. Chaeyoung and Dahyun had refused to give her specifics as to what their plan was. They had only told her that they would “take care of it”. Nayeon had cautioned them against doing anything too ridiculous, but the matching grins on their faces had her thinking that she may have made a slight miscalculation.  
  
She had wanted measured chaos, but she wasn’t sure Dahyun and Chaeyoung had developed restraint yet.   
  
A week had passed with no signs of the plan, but then this morning she had gotten a text message from Chaeyoung that just told her to wear her favorite perfume.  
  
Nayeon had listened, but every spritz had sounded more and more ominous.  
  
“Nayeon, wait up!” She was pulled out of her thoughts by a familiar voice calling down the hall to her.  
  
She stopped and turned, doing her best to ignore the way her stomach fluttered at the sight of Jeongyeon in that damn sweatshirt.  
  
At first, Nayeon hadn’t even thought to ask for it back. The morning after The Incident (as Momo had taken to calling it), she had thrown a new spare outfit into her bag, expecting Jeongyeon to hand her the shirt and sweatshirt back with a quip about how she was never wearing pink again.  
  
She was mostly correct. Jeongyeon had indeed walked up to her the next morning with the pink shirt in hand, freshly washed and folded. It had been summarily dropped into Nayeon’s backpack with a declaration of hatred, and Nayeon had laughed and rolled her eyes. Jeongyeon hadn’t said a word about her sweatshirt, and up until the day Jeongyeon had shown up wearing it, Nayeon had been able to brush it off as the other girl being forgetful.  
  
It had been the Monday after Nayeon’s halfway successful attempt at making Jeongyeon lunch that Jeongyeon had thrown her completely off kilter. Jeongyeon had met her at her locker like she did every morning, and this time, when Jeongyeon turned to start walking to their first class, Nayeon almost fainted when she properly saw what Jeongyeon had on.  
  
Jeongyeon had been wearing _her_ sweatshirt, with _her_ name on the back, and she had been doing it when not under slushie blue duress.  
  
Nayeon had tried to ask about it a few times, but the words never seemed to be able to leave her tongue. So she suffered in silence.  
  
Well, suffered in silence only broken by Jihyo’s shocked and hopeful questions and her other friends' giggles.  
  
Nayeon liked to think that she was pretty good at dealing with Jeongyeon in her sweatshirt at this point. Sure, seeing the girl wrapped in their school’s signature light blue and with Nayeon’s name splayed across her shoulders still made her melt, but the duration of the effect was minimal.  
  
“What,” she asked, raising an eyebrow at Jeongyeon as she came to a stop in front of her. “Did I accidentally take one of your books?”  
  
“No, no.” Jeongyeon shook her head. “I just wanted to know what you were doing after school today.”  
  
“Jihyo, Mina, and I were going to go the movies. Why?”  
  
Jeongyeon swallowed and shook her head, and Nayeon knew she wasn’t imagining the disappointment that flashed across her features. “Just curious! That’s all.”  
  
“Jeongie,” Nayeon drawled, smile growing as Jeongyeon’s head jerked away. “What were you going to ask me?”  
  
“Nothing,” Jeongyeon insisted, meeting Nayeon’s eyes with a small frown. “I just wanted to know! Because we’re friends or whatever.”  
  
“Whatever?” Nayeon stepped closer, pleased as Jeongyeon fidgeted. “Five years of being friends, and I get a ‘whatever’?”  
  
Jeongyeon swatted away Nayeon’s hand as it moved to poke her in the stomach. “The actual thing I would say would be too rude.”  
  
“Uh huh. Well, for your curiosity”—Jeongyeon scowled— "I am free tomorrow if you want to hang out.”  
  
“Good to know, but I wasn’t going to ask.”  
  
“Okay, then I won’t either. We’re having a sleepover at my house tomorrow.”  
  
Jeongyeon’s eyebrows shot up. “Who said I wanted to spend my Friday night with you?”  
  
“We both know—”  
  
Nayeon saw something surge into her peripheral vision, but all she could register was a shove against her shoulders and very familiar sounding “Yeet!”.  
  
She felt her shoulder push into what felt like hanging clothes as her right foot got caught inside an unknown object. She was vaguely aware of Jeongyeon bumbling around next to her, stream of curses leaving her mouth. Thankfully, she managed to brace herself against a wall, eyes fluttering open to total darkness.  
  
“What the hell was that,” Nayeon spat out, pushing herself into an upright position.  
  
She jumped when a loud noise came from in front of her.  
  
“Fuck! Sorry,” Jeongyeon exclaimed. “My foot was stuck in a bucket or something.”  
  
“I think mine is currently in one. Are you okay?”  
  
“Yeah, I think so. Are you?”  
  
Nayeon nodded, stopping suddenly when she realized that Jeongyeon couldn’t see her. “Aside from the whole ‘foot in bucket’ situation, yeah. Where are we?”  
  
“Well”—Nayeon heard a rustling noise—"from what I can tell and based on where we were in the hallway, I think someone pushed us into the janitor’s closet.”  
  
“Excuse me,” Nayeon deadpanned. “The janitor’s closet?”  
  
She was going to murder Dahyun and Chaeyoung the next time she saw them.  
  
A clicking noise echoed throughout the closet. “A janitor’s closet with a broken light, to be specific,” Jeongyeon said, exasperation clear.  
  
“The door is locked, isn’t it?”  
  
A metal clatter. The sound of Jeongyeon pushing herself against the door. “Yes.”  
  
“Great. I’m going to die with my foot in this bucket.”  
  
“We’re not going to die,” Jeongyeon insisted.  
  
“Will you say something nice about me if I die first,” Nayeon asked, making her voice as cloyingly sweet as possible. “I want to go out with the praise I deserve.”  
  
“If you’re looking for someone to say nice things about you, you should’ve gotten trapped in this closet with Momo.”  
  
Nayeon let out a snort of laughter before she could stop herself. “Never thought I’d be stuck in the closet again.”  
  
Jeongyeon’s groan quickly slid into laughter as Nayeon continued to laugh. “I’d say I hate you for making that joke, but I’m kinda just mad I didn’t make it first.”  
  
Nayeon’s eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness of the closet, and she could now see light seeping in from under the door. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for her to see that Jeongyeon was standing only a few inches from her.  
  
Her foot twinged, and with a wince she remembered that her foot was indeed still in a bucket.  
  
“Don’t move.” Nayeon reached forward, doing her best to approximate where Jeongyeon’s shoulders were.  
  
“Wh—” Jeongyeon let out a squeak of surprise.  
  
“Sorry,” Nayeon said, steadying herself with a firm grip on Jeongyeon’s shoulders. “I need to get my foot out.” With the last word, she jerked her leg up, pleasure at the feeling of freedom quickly giving way to panic as the motion sent her stumbling forward.  
  
The fabric bunched beneath her hands as she scrambled for support. She felt Jeongyeon’s hands to come up and grab at her upper arms, and Nayeon settled into a more stable stance with a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”  
  
“You good,” Jeongyeon asked, and Nayeon could hear the amusement in her voice.  
  
“Good,” Nayeon answered. Jeongyeon squeezed her arms before letting go.  
  
“You better not have damaged my sweatshirt,” Jeongyeon grumbled.  
  
Nayeon scoffed, releasing the fabric and smoothing it over Jeongyeon’s shoulders. And then she remembered which sweatshirt Jeongyeon had been wearing today.  
  
“Jeongyeon.” Nayeon stepped forward and slid her hands up to cup the back of Jeongyeon’s neck. She smiled at the small noise Jeongyeon made, a cut-off gasp that rang through the small space like a thunderclap. “Are you just calling that sweatshirt yours now?”  
  
Nayeon felt Jeongyeon stiffen, and the dim lighting in the closet allowed her to see the way Jeongyeon’s eyes widened.  
  
Jeongyeon whipped around to face the door, motion knocking Nayeon’s arms from her neck. “We can talk about the sweatshirt later. I need to get out of here.”  
  
It was easy to pick Jeongyeon apart, even in this godforsaken closet. Nayeon could feel the panic radiating off of her, even as she focused her attention on the door.  
  
Jeongyeon was struggled with the door once more, unwilling to accept that they were in fact stuck in here for the foreseeable future. Nayeon could hear every aggravated grunt and failed push.  
  
“Jeongyeon,” Nayeon said.  
  
Jeongyeon continued to work at the door, elbows knocking into what sounded like mops.  
  
“Jeongyeon!” Nayeon wrapped her fingers around the other girl’s wrists and tugged them away from the door. “It’s locked from the outside. You’re going to make a mess.”  
  
“It’s lunch time,” Jeongyeon whined, head dropping forward. “All I’ve had to eat today is an orange. An orange!”  
  
Nayeon laughed as Jeongyeon threw her hands out, breaking Nayeon’s grip and once again smacking into the mops.

“Why the hell did you only eat an orange?”  
  
She heard Jeongyeon shuffle her feet. “I slept through my alarm.”  
  
“Well then it’s what you deserve.”  
  
“Thanks, bestie.”  
  
A resigned silence settled between them, and Nayeon considered her options. She knew Jeongyeon was deflecting, and normally she would just let it go. But she couldn’t stop thinking about how Jeongyeon had looked at her on her couch, or the way Jeongyeon would lift her elbow so that Nayeon could link their arms together as they walked to class.  
  
Jeongyeon had indeed given her the last piece of pepperoni pizza this week, and Nayeon was finally starting to let herself wonder if the playful glint in Jeongyeon’s eyes as she teased her held something else.  
  
Another tip flashed through her mind.  
  
_Tip #18: Be elusive and stay in the game, but eventually you have to go on the offensive._  
  
At the time, she had been inspired to write it after a particularly drawn out game of dodgeball, but as she stood in this far too small janitor’s closet with an increasingly frantic Jeongyeon next to her, she wondered if it called for a wider application.  
  
“Jeongyeon, why do you still have my sweatshirt?”  
  
“What?” Nayeon winced at the sound of another mop clattering to the ground.  
  
She pressed on. “My sweatshirt. You’re wearing it all the time now, why?”  
  
“Oh, shit. Do you want it back? I’m sorry.” Jeongyeon’s voice was soft, and Nayeon was unsatisfied.  
  
“You don’t have to apologize! I just want to know why you’ve worn it more than that first time.” There was a joke dancing on the tip of her tongue, a throwaway comment about Jeongyeon enjoying the wearing of evidence of Nayeon’s past failings, but she couldn’t let it loose.  
  
“Light blue looks good on me. What can I say?” Nayeon could hear the forced nonchalance, could detect the slight tremor in Jeongyeon’s voice. She could hear the noise the fabric of her sweatshirt made as Jeongyeon crossed her arms.  
  
“You’re lying,” Nayeon said, voice faltering briefly. “That’s not why.”  
  
“Yes, it is,” Jeongyeon insisted.  
  
“No, it’s not,” Nayeon countered, shuffling forward until she could see both of Jeongyeon’s eyes in the dim lighting.  
  
Jeongyeon dropped her head, a short laugh escaping her. “What do you want me to say, Nayeon? What answer are you looking for here?”  
  
Nayeon opened her mouth, and then winced as the door suddenly opened, light flooding into their space.  
  
She turned, blinking away the spots that appeared, and let out a noise of surprise when she saw who had opened the door.  
  
“Tzuyu,” Jeongyeon exclaimed. “Our savior!”  
  
Tzuyu looked at both of them and sighed. “I have a message for you.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“A message?”  
  
They spoke at the same time, and Tzuyu just nodded, resigned. “Yes. I’ve been asked to tell you that it is time to, and I quote”— Tzuyu rolled her eyes to the ceiling and sighed once more before continuing.—"'skurt skurt out of the closet’.”  
  
“Oh my god,” Nayeon groaned, head dropping into her hands.  
  
“Message delivered. Bye now,” Tzuyu said. Nayeon heard her footsteps heading down the hall.  
  
“I don’t even have words right now,” Jeongyeon said, half laughing. “What the hell just happened?”  
  
The response died on Nayeon’s lips as she turned and got a proper look at Jeongyeon in the light. She saw her wearing her sweatshirt, saw the way Jeongyeon was fiddling with the sleeves even though there was a smile on her face.  
  
She opened her mouth once more, but when Nayeon saw how Jeongyeon tensed at the motion, her desire to press ahead was lost. Was there any point in getting an answer if it was something Jeongyeon would refuse to talk about?  
  
She weighed her response on her tongue, felt the way it could inevitably change things between them. She wasn’t going to force Jeongyeon to talk about this, couldn’t. If Jeongyeon wanted to talk to her, she would, but that didn’t mean Nayeon had to keep waiting. “I like wearing it because it’s yours.”  
  
Jeongyeon’s brow furrowed. “What? Now I’m even more confused.”  
  
Nayeon smiled, tried to push down the anxiety bubbling in her stomach. “That’s what I wanted you to tell me.”  
  
There was a pressure building in her chest, one that she was suddenly painfully aware of. It spiraled out, ebbing and pulsing at the look on Jeongyeon’s face. There was nothing for Nayeon to analyze, no darting eyes or bobbing throat, just Jeongyeon, looking at her blankly.  
  
The seconds trickled by, and slowly, the pressure in Nayeon’s chest faded, replaced with the hollow feeling of weightlessness. For the first time in a long time, she looked at Jeongyeon and didn’t feel an almost overwhelming urge to tell the other girl how she felt.   
  
She turned and began walking in the direction of her next class. Jeongyeon said nothing as she left, and Nayeon did her best to hold her head high. She just needed to make it through three more hours of the day, then she could get home and crumble.  
  
  
_**Tip #71: Just tell them.**_

  
  
Nayeon traced a finger over her final planned tip before closing the notebook and tossing it across the room. That one really only worked if the person you’re trying to communicate with looked at you.  
  
She fell back onto her bed with a sigh.  
  
She had almost waited for Jeongyeon at her locker after school, but one look at the familiar stickers adorning it had sent anxiety and sorrow spiking through her. She had been telling herself for ages that Jeongyeon didn’t feel the same way, but to have it all but confirmed was still crushing.  
  
There had been no text messages, no signs that Jeongyeon wanted to say anything to her about what had happened, and so Nayeon had lain awake, watching her ceiling fan spin and wondering how she had developed such a talent for liking people that didn’t like her back.  
  
Friday morning, she had stopped in her tracks at the sight of Jeongyeon waiting at her locker, but then Jeongyeon had spotted her and all but fled. With a pang, Nayeon realized that it was the first day this week she hadn’t at least come to school in her hoodie.  
  
The thought of attending class with Jeongyeon was agonizing, and Nayeon decided she would rather skip and risk detention than have to deal with Jeongyeon sitting next to her for two hours. They liked to pass notes, scribbling stick figures on the corners of each other’s papers, and Nayeon didn’t know if she could handle a class without that.  
  
(During the second week of the semester, Jeongyeon had been out sick with a head cold, and Nayeon had felt a pang in her chest every time she turned to her left to make a snide remark about something the teacher had just said only to see Jeongyeon’s empty desk. The next day, when Jeongyeon was back, Nayeon had all but flung herself into the taller girl’s arms. Jeongyeon had muttered something about her being too clingy, but Nayeon hadn’t missed the way Jeongyeon’s arms tightened around her for just the briefest of moments.)  
  
Once the decision to skip class had been made, avoiding Jeongyeon was easy. Avoiding Jihyo, however, proved to be impossible. She had been pulled out of her 5th period class by an apologetic Jihyo equipped with a note from the principal’s office. Up until the moment Jihyo yanked her into the empty student council office, shut the door, and told Nayeon to explain “What the hell was going on with Jeongyeon”, Nayeon had been almost certain she was already in trouble for skipping.  
  
Nayeon knew resistance was futile, and up until the moment she burst into tears, she had thought she was doing a remarkable job of telling Jihyo a logical and detached version of events. Jihyo had immediately dropped the question, pulling Nayeon into a hug more comforting than Nayeon would ever admit. Jihyo thankfully hadn’t said much— Nayeon wasn’t in the mood for a lecture — and she had gone back to class feeling marginally better.  
  
She was vaguely aware of the sound of her sisters’ voices and of the front door slamming shut, and she spared a thought to her sisters. They were so young, so unjaded by the realities of this cruel world. Nayeon made a mental note to caution them away from having crushes until they were at least 21.  
  
She spotted a piece of dust on her ceiling fan and wondered how hard it would be to clean it. It would probably just take a ladder and a broomstick. She tried to pretend she didn’t know exactly how Jeongyeon would respond if she asked her that question: A disbelieving glare followed by a laughing suggestion that Nayeon would inevitability follow up on while Jeongyeon watched her from below, prepared for a fall. Though, she supposed Jeongyeon might also insist on doing it herself in a moment of—  
  
“I was told to be here for a sleepover.”  
  
Nayeon shot up, not quite believing what she had heard.  
  
Jeongyeon stood in her doorway, fidgeting with the sleeves of a familiar sweatshirt. The grin she wore was effortless, no sign of distress or hesitation, and that pressure in Nayeon’s chest started building again.  
  
“Why are you here,” Nayeon breathed, standing up and crossing her room until she was only a foot away from Jeongyeon.  
  
“Like I said, the sleepover. I figured the invitation was still open.” Jeongyeon let out a small laugh.  
  
All Nayeon could do was stare. She was in complete shock. Had she explicitly told Jeongyeon not to come over today? No. Did she expect Jeongyeon to still show up? Absolutely fucking not.  
  
Time passed, Nayeon couldn’t say how much, but Jeongyeon eventually faltered, lips pulling into a frown.  
  
“I owe you an apology,” she said, locking eyes with Nayeon. “I left you hanging after we were stuck in that closet, and then I avoided you, not that you—”  
  
“You don’t have to apologize to me for not liking me, Jeongyeon,” Nayeon interrupted, finding her voice in an effort to save herself from further embarrassment. “I didn’t exactly seek you out. I’m hoping we can still be friends. I know I kind of just threw that at you, and I”—Nayeon winced. She knew she was rambling, but she couldn’t lose Jeongyeon completely—”really don’t want you to feel bad. Your feelings are your feelings, and they’re valid even if they make me sad. That sounds like a guilt trip but I promise it isn’t. I just really, really like you and I— "Nayeon stopped, painfully aware of how red she was turning.  
  
Jeongyeon was looking at her again, but her face was awash in emotion and Nayeon had no idea how to process the quirk of her lips, the tilt to her head, the way she looked at Nayeon like maybe, just maybe, she liked her back.  
  
“I freaked out when I had to wear your sweatshirt because of how much I liked the idea of people thinking we were together, thinking that I was yours.”  
  
Nayeon’s heart leapt into her throat.  
  
“I didn’t know if you felt the same way, but I liked the feeling so I kept wearing it.” Jeongyeon let out a small laugh, and Nayeon wondered if the other girl could hear how quickly her heart was beating. “And then you said what you said, and I panicked, because maybe this thing I had been wanting for so long could be real.”  
  
“I’m not good with words.” Jeongyeon glanced at the floor before locking eyes with Nayeon once more. “I’m sorry I’m not explaining this well, but I need you to know that I did keep your hoodie because it was yours.”  
  
The pressure in her chest swirled, compressing and pushing and straining until Nayeon felt breathless. Jeongyeon liked her. Jeongyeon liked her and liked wearing her sweatshirt. Jeongyeon was blushing and suddenly unable to meet her eyes and she liked her and she liked wearing her sweatshirt.  
  
And Nayeon was—  
  
“Do you want to go to the winter dance with together? No, wait shit. With me. Do you want to go to the winter dance with me?”  
  
— still unable to function smoothly around her crush.  
  
Jeongyeon grinned. “Yes. I want to go with together and with you.”  
  
Nayeon stepped closer, tangling her fingers in the fabric of Jeongyeon’s (her) hoodie. “If we’re going to start dating, you’re going to need to start being nicer to me.”  
  
Jeongyeon’s head dipped, and Nayeon had to stop herself from pushing forward. “Who said anything about dating? And besides, you like me being mean to you.”  
  
Nayeon darted her tongue out to lick her lips, well aware of Jeongyeon’s eyes dropping to watch the motion and the hitch in her breathing that followed. “Unless you say otherwise, I’m going to kiss you in the next ten seconds. If you let me kiss you, we’re dating, Yoo Jeongyeon.”  
  
Nayeon had always thought Jeongyeon looked adorable while blushing, but nothing could compare to watching the tips of her ears turn red in this moment, knowing it was because of Nayeon talking about them kissing.  
  
She watched Jeongyeon’s jaw work for several moments, unworried by the lack of response. Jeongyeon had given her the answer she had been looking for, now she just needed to wait.  
  
“This is me letting you kiss me,” Jeongyeon murmured, and Nayeon needed no further prompting.  
  
And then they were kissing, and the pressure in Nayeon’s chest finally, finally burst, sending waves across her body, spreading to her fingertips and leaving a buzz in their wake. The kiss was a simple one, a press of lips that Nayeon could barely feel, but she knew it was everything.  
  
Jeongyeon was here. Jeongyeon was kissing her. And when Nayeon pulled back, saw the way Jeongyeon’s eyes fluttered halfway open and felt the heat of Jeongyeon’s palm on her hip, she was hit with the inexplicable urge to cry.  
  
But she didn’t, because Jeongyeon leaned in, pressing their lips together again. Any thoughts Nayeon may have had about moving slowly flew out the window as Jeongyeon used her grip on Nayeon’s hip to pull her in closer.  
  
As she swiped her tongue across Jeongyeon’s bottom lip, Nayeon spared one last thought to her list of tips; it was time for an addition.  
  
_Tip #104: Trust Jihyo._ _Always._

**Author's Note:**

> @2yeonaus on twitter if you're so inclined! 'til next time!


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